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The Treasury of Basel Cathedral
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Reliquary Head of Saint Eustace, 1180–1200 (wood head and base); 1200–1220 (silver head and base)
Upper Rhineland, possibly Basel
Raised, stamped, and partially gilded silver, with filigree, copper, glass, rock crystal, chalcedony, amethyst, mother-of-pearl, onyx, and carnelian, with fragments of silk; H. (silver head and base, overall) 13 1/4 in. (33.5 cm)
Trustees of the British Museum
Description |
Description
In 1955 the silver sheets that encased the wooden core of this reliquary were removed, revealing three pieces: a base, a head, and a removable skullcap that allowed access to the interior. Although the inventories from 1477 onward consistently identify this head with that of Saint Eustace, there was no corroborating internal evidence. The cavity was designed to hold numerous individual relics rather than as a container for a skull. When opened for the first time since the Middle Ages, three layers of relics were found, all wrapped in textile fragments (several of which are on display in this exhibition) and carefully labeled except for the bottom layer, which contained unidentified skull fragments.
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